Already this year, 36 children have died in hot cars compared to 25 children in 2015

Summer is over, yet another baby died in a hot car yesterday in Muskogee, OK. These tragedies will continue to happen at an alarming rate until driver reminder technology is available in all vehicles. The biggest challenge; nobody thinks this could ever happen to them.

On September 15, 2016 U.S. Rep Tim Ryan (OH), Peter King (NY) and Jan Schakowsky (IL) introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016, H.R. 6041). This critical piece of legislation will help prevent children from being needlessly killed or injured when left alone in a vehicle. This bi-partisan effort has already received widespread support from more than 20 of the nation's leading public health, consumer and safety organizations, an expert in neuroscience and the brain memory system, along with families who have been devastated by a similar tragedy.

Today is exactly 3 weeks since the introduction of the HOT CARS Act, and subsequently 7 more families are suffering the unthinkable loss of a child.

Keys and remote openers should never be left within reach of children.

If a child is missing, immediately check the inside and trunk of all vehicles in the area very carefully.

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About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is the only national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated solely to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heat stroke from being unknowingly left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and survivor advocacy.